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Review Revue: Brilliant - Kiss the Lips of Life

05/24/2018

Levi Fuller

Welcome to Review Revue, where every Thursday I dig through the KEXP stacks to share DJ reviews and comments written on the covers of LPs (and occasionally CDs) in the ’80s and ’90s, when the station was called KCMU, the DJs were volunteers, and people shared their opinions on little white labels instead of the internet.

Brilliant were not a band I had ever heard of before pulling this record off the shelves at KEXP, which is certainly understandable in that they are not a band that has been hugely celebrated in the 30-plus years since their demise. And yet the band's membership is absolutely worth noting. Led by Martin Glover — aka Youth — of Killing Joke (and as far as I can tell his main project upon parting ways with Killing Joke in the '80s), the project also included Jimmy Cauty, who would go on to form the KLF. A pretty impressive musical pedigree, which seems to have yielded mixed results — depending on which of the KCMU DJs you listen to.

Today, Killing Joke is the band that has proved to be longer lived - and, in fact, back in its original lineup, including Youth. They'll be kicking off a U.S. tour on September 1st at Studio Seven, but don't expect to hear "Ruby Fruit Jungle" — or even "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," which would be pretty interesting. They may not be as fashion forward as Brilliant was, but I bet they'll have nice jackets too.

"Try to pretend you didn't know Youth used to be in Killing Joke, and you might even enjoy this, assuming of course you're into light*, way produced dance poppy stuff.. *Read, 'Weenyish'"